Posted on Aug 22, 2014
Feelings on displaying the Confederate flag on your POV or person while on a military installation?
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Recently, I had a long and heated discussion with a fellow veteran about this issue. I don't know for sure whether a branch-specific reg or a DoD-wide reg exists that prohibits/allows personnel on a military installation to display the Confederate flag on their personal vehicle or on their person (e.g. a belt buckle). Maybe this is a base-specific policy and left to the judgment of the installation commander. Display of the Confederate flag is a divisive issue and people often feel really strongly one way or the other. But today, it is still a relevant topic and touches on other military leadership/discipline areas, including the actions of one member deeply offending another member -- regardless of whether said action is legal/authorized. That can create huge problems in a military unit, and this happened in a unit I personally served in. So, below are my questions for the RallyPoint community about this issue.
Please try to keep comments professional (don't attack one another) and explain your thoughts as best you can.
Questions:
(1) How do you feel about the Confederate flag being displayed on the vehicle/person of a service member if he/she is ON post? How does your opinion change if the member is OFF post?
(2) What does the Confederate flag symbolize to you personally? What do you think it can symbolize to other people around you who may perceive it differently?
(3) If you have personally experienced a military-related situation where a symbol/flag caused someone to be offended, what happened and what did you/would you have done as the leader?
I look fwd to everyone's thoughts on this. Personally, I have some strong feelings about this issue, though I don't want to bias people's answers upfront. Please be as honest as possible.
Tag: SSG Emily Williams Col (Join to see) 1SG Steven Stankovich SSG Scott Williams 1LT Sandy Annala CPT (Join to see) SSG V. Michelle Woods MSG Carl Cunningham
Please try to keep comments professional (don't attack one another) and explain your thoughts as best you can.
Questions:
(1) How do you feel about the Confederate flag being displayed on the vehicle/person of a service member if he/she is ON post? How does your opinion change if the member is OFF post?
(2) What does the Confederate flag symbolize to you personally? What do you think it can symbolize to other people around you who may perceive it differently?
(3) If you have personally experienced a military-related situation where a symbol/flag caused someone to be offended, what happened and what did you/would you have done as the leader?
I look fwd to everyone's thoughts on this. Personally, I have some strong feelings about this issue, though I don't want to bias people's answers upfront. Please be as honest as possible.
Tag: SSG Emily Williams Col (Join to see) 1SG Steven Stankovich SSG Scott Williams 1LT Sandy Annala CPT (Join to see) SSG V. Michelle Woods MSG Carl Cunningham
Regulation
Policy
Respect
Confederate Flag
Edited 10 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 326
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I see nothing wrong with the flag, I'm from the south and its a southern thing some of my closest friends growing up had them on their cars and it didn't bother me at all.
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I once had a roommate who hailed from Upper Michigan, but he flew the Battle Flag on the wall of our barracks room proudly. Once time, a health and welfare inspection came around and a SFC, who was black, ordered my roomie to remove that flagged based on racism. Naturally, my roomie followed the order, but at the same time, he expressed his concerns about a fellow Soldier across the hall that had a Malcolm X flag on his wall. As soon as this issue hit the 1SG desk, he simply said any and all flags are to not be displayed. He didn't care what kind of flag it was. If it was a flag, or a picture of a flag, it wasn't getting posted.
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Am I the only one who is wondering about the "OBAMA 08" lettering in the photo?
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How would any of you react to say ...winning a clone or an actual Dukes of Hazard General Lee? would you keep the flag or get rid of it and down value the vehicle????I my self dont have a stand one way or the other, if a soldier is awesome in what they do and a hard charger always in the thick of things would it really matter what he drives or has on his vehicle or belt buckle??? If the person was a total reject and their name was amended into the UCMJ then why is that person still a soldier????
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I'm from the state they guy in the original picture is from (NC) and I grew up seeing the rebel flag almost on a daily basis. I personally don't have an issue with it. It represents southern pride, even though some people use it to incite hate. There were more Americans of African descent that fought for the south than the north. My only issue silly as it may be is when I see people from northern states with the flag I can of feel like there posing.
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A question for those who find this flag offensive due to the acts of a few closed minded/racist men. Do we ban the cross because the KKK consoder themselves chrsitian? Do we ban the half moon with the star because it represents islam and terrorist claim to be muslims?
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These are the things that start fights but I will weigh my two cents like anyone else. No I don't think it would be waved around on a military installation for the meaning it has. Might not be the meaning it has for all people but what the flag stands for is ignorance of the foulest kind.
I have plenty of airmen who tell me that isn't what it means to them and they are welcome that freedom but when something like that becomes a poster for racism, sorry it is sort of hard to mean much else.
I have met both kinds of people that fly this very flag, so I have heard every reason on why it is okay to a person. However, what it currently means in the large part of todays society, this flag shouldn't be flown on a military installation out of respect for your brother who has every right to be offended by it.
I have plenty of airmen who tell me that isn't what it means to them and they are welcome that freedom but when something like that becomes a poster for racism, sorry it is sort of hard to mean much else.
I have met both kinds of people that fly this very flag, so I have heard every reason on why it is okay to a person. However, what it currently means in the large part of todays society, this flag shouldn't be flown on a military installation out of respect for your brother who has every right to be offended by it.
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The confederate flag once represented heritage of the South and how are Nation was split because of beliefs. A lot of American men died for that flag! What has happened the confederate flag was hijacked by the KKK, skinheads..etc etc. I see the flag for what it is.. History...while others see it as a bad thing! My thoughts.
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Having spent a lot of time in virginia, having seen a lot of "the south will rise again" kind of people, I shake my head when i see the confederate flag. I can't see how people have so much pride in it, it wasn't used much in the antibellum period, then what it stood for lost the war and in reconstruction it was used by those who wanted to keep oppressing black people. I just don't see it as a "heritage" item. Have seen it used for purposes of repression and racism.
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To judge before investigating and to say, "oh he's white so he is racist" would actually make one racist. If someone wants to fly the confederate flag, I don't care. They would be able to as free people.
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